Kerala: Sitaram Yechury's elevation sparks speculation over parties coming back to LDF fold

KOCHI: The unanimous election of Sitaram Yechury as CPM general secretary has triggered speculation on the return of parties from the ruling United Democratic Front to the Opposition Left Democratic Front.

Soon after he took over, Yechury said that discussions to bring back Janata Dal (U) and RSP from the United Democratic Front camp to the Left Front would start soon. The move would greatly improve the chances of the see-saw politics in favour of the Left in next year’s assembly polls. But more than the political equations facing the Left Front, people are keen on learning about the changes in the equations within the party.

Will Yechury’s lead to the creation of a new political axis? The 92-year-old VS Achuthanandan gave out signals that a new political axis was emerging when he returned – after leaving the party congress “to catch a Chennai flight” – on hearing that Sitaram Yechury has been elected party chief. He offered his ‘best wishes’ for Yechury on the day of the election, a practice that is non-existent in CPM, according to Kerala party leaders.

While the local media interpreted Achuthanandan’s moves to say that a Yechury-VS axis would replace the Karat-Pinarayi axis. Veteran leader MM Lawrence said that he would like to see Yechury’s term as a continuation of the old order.